May Day: Betterment for the Nigerian worker

As Nigerian workers join their counterparts across the world to mark this year’s workers day, issues of poor welfare and insecurity have again popped up as their prime concern.

The situation the Nigerian worker finds themself in is a terrible one, especially today that the economy is totally down. The N30,000 minimum wage is nothing to write home about; it has been rendered useless by inflation which has swallowed all the gains.

Another plight of the Nigerian worker is the way politicians are handling the situation; all their attention is on the 2023 election year less than a year away.

Every responsible government should be concerned about the provision of security which is bedevilling the country, especially in the North, and workers are mostly targets for kidnapping and killings.

From 1999 till date, the only thing taking precedence is looting and privatisation rather than the provision of water, quality education, and provision of food on the table of Nigerians.

All these are vital but absent, and while Nigerians hear about billions of Naira being spent, they cannot see anything on the ground to show for it.

Also, the children of the poor are at home due to the on-going ASUU strike, but nobody is saying anything. The federal government should look into the situation.

Today, the Nigerian politician is more concerned about zoning and consensus and how to buy exorbitant nomination forms that are beyond the reach of average Nigerians.

As for the coming elections, Nigerians should not look at the political party but at the individual. Emphasis should be laid on looking for people who can deliver on the promises of provision of water, food and electricity.

So, as we celebrate the Nigerian worker, we urge the Nigerian security apparatus to do more, and we wish to reiterate our call for improved social protection and investments in social services to deal with human insecurity which is the bane of physical insecurity.

Com. Benjamin Anthony is the National President, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, (AUPCTRE)